don miguel mañara, don juan tenorio and the pharmacy

him by Antonio Susillo. One is located in the Palacio San Telmo (Palace of Saint Telmo)
where he is surrounded by other illustrious figures of Seville 4 , and another is the
bronze statue which is located opposite the Hospital. In both cases, Mañara is
represented carrying a beggar in his arms with the intention of taking him to the
Hospital de la Santa Caridad.
Don Miguel is the ninth son of Mrs. Jerónima Anfriano and D. Thomas Manara, a
wealthy merchant of Italian origin, and the holder of an immense fortune earned
through his Atlantic trade. Mañara, despite being the baby of the family, would one
day inherit all his father's fortune, for in his short life, seven of his siblings would die (a
fact which would mark him psychologically), with his sister Isabel being the only sibling
to outlive him and the only one who had heirs.
In 1648 two events occurred that changed his life: the death of his father and his
wedding, while the former precedes the latter. D. Miguel is married by proxy to a
noble lady from Granada, Jéromina Carrillo de Mendoza, and the marriage would last
thirteen years, though not produce any children.
After the death of his wife and contrary to what many people believe, Mañara
continued to work in the mercantile business 5 . After a period of reflection, he applied
for membership in the Brotherhood of Santa Caridad, one of the many brotherhoods
which existed at the time in Seville. Surprisingly, his request was rejected and would
not be accepted until three months later. His attitude and work in the brotherhood
caused a radical change of opinion in the organization, for after only a year, he is
elected “Hermano Mayor” (Eldest Brother). As such, he encouraged the construction
of the Church that the Brotherhood was building and founded a small hospice. In 1673
he began the building of an infirmary, under the patronage of Jesus Christ, and four
years later he began another under the patronage of the Virgin Mary. A few years
later, in 1678, he began the third infirmary and began construction of the courtyards
4 Antonio Susillo (1857-1896) made, at the request of the Dukes of Montpensier who owned the palace
of San Telmo, a series of sculptures that were located in the north facade of the palace. There we can
see Mañara surrounded by the likes of Velázquez, Murillo and Daoiz.
5 For more information see: Vila Vilar, Enriqueta. The Corzo and Mañara: types and archetypes of the
merchant with the Indies. Sevilla, Escuela de Estudios Hispano-Americanos, 1991.